The social media breakup

I've recently become aware and approve of a new social media trend. No, it's not the Facebook test that tells me what kind of bird I am; it's the calm, unified, grown-up Facebook message alerting the world that your long-time relationship is over. In the past couple months, at least three of my Facebook friends -- which is to say someone I barely knew in high school, a good friend from grad school, and my son's old drum teacher -- have posted joint statements with their ex announcing their mutual, drama-free break-ups.

Here's a made-up example of what I'm talking about:

"After nearly a decade of being together, [significant other] and I have chosen to live our lives separately. While we whole-heartedly respect and love one another, we have decided it is better to follow our own paths and explore what life has to offer. We wish each other the best and look back fondly on our many happy years." 

The first time I saw something like this, I was a little taken aback. Isn't social media where you quietly change your relationship status and let other people make of that what they will? Or, for my less restrained friends, post status updates about how their ex-boyfriend will never find someone better and then proceed to paper my Facebook news feed with photos of you dancing in New York at 2:00 am with good-looking strangers? When did Facebook breakups start to look less like this: 

And more like this:

It makes me wonder if this is a sign of my age or a changing trend in the social media environment. Perhaps my friends has smartened up a bit in their advanced dating years and really are having more civil break-ups.  But maybe, what they're getting smarter at is not dating, but the way they're portraying their breakup through social media. Is it possible that after 30, or after nearly a decade on Facebook, we have finally figured out that posting emotional, cringeworthy breakup messages is no longer de rigueur? 

Whatever the case, I think this trend is something to be applauded. Surely, it gives us less to gossip about at the water cooler, but there is something far more mature about one heartfelt, respectful breakup message than a series of clues that your relationship is over. For that, I thank you. 

I'm curious though. Am I the only one who is seeing these new break-up messages? Are your friends following this trend or are they still posting weepy lyrics on their Facebook page post-breakup? And if your friends are "consciously decoupling" on Facebook, do you approve?